Modern rail vehicles have brake systems comprising brake devices which act in different ways. The service brake devices provided are often, for example, pressure-operated brake devices, in particular pneumatic brake devices. Dynamic brakes, such as electrodynamic brakes, rotating eddy-current brakes or hydrodynamic brakes for example, are additionally used to assist service braking. Dynamic brake devices comprise adhesion-dependent brakes, the braking force of the adhesion-dependent brakes being transmitted to the rail by means of contact between wheel and rail. Therefore, the brakes interact in a critical manner with conventional, likewise adhesion-dependent service brakes. In contrast, brakes of which the braking force is transmitted between wheel and rail independently of adhesion are generally called adhesion-independent brakes. One example of an adhesion-independent brake is a magnetic track brake which can produce its own direct frictional contact with the rail and transmit a braking force by means of the frictional contact. To be able to estimate and control the effect of dynamic brakes of this kind in a braking process, in particular to avoid a wheel being excessively braked in the case of interaction with other adhesion-dependent brakes, it is necessary to detect the braking force which is exerted by dynamic brakes. The sensor system associated with this is complex and expensive.
Disclosed embodiments provide an efficient and cost-effective way of determining the braking force of dynamic brakes.